(1st+period)+Temperate+Grassland



Introduction

Temperate grasslands act as a transitional biome, and typically exist between deserts and forests. Most temperate grasslands are located north of the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees north in latitude but can also be located in the south of the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5 degrees south in latitude. Temperate grasslands are found around the globe, such as the Great Plains of North America, South America, and in central Asia and Eastern Europe. Although there is a nomenclature for temperate grasslands, for every specific region, it is called another name. In North America, citizens call temperate grassland's by the term prairies, South America call it pampas, and in Central Asia and Eastern Europe label it as steppes. Temperate grassland's have some of the world's most fertile soil with their dormant and growing season. The fertile loam allows there to be nutrient-rich soil which will help the next generation of plants to grow and thrive. 

Flora The typical plants of temperate grasslands include grasses and nonwoody flowering plants. Trees and large shrubs are dominantly absent. Include a few hundred species of flowers growing among the grasses. These plants are well adapted to wild fires. Their deep roots usually store energy which enable quick regrowth. Two different sections: //Tall-grass// //prairies// which receive sufficient rainfall for trees to grow.//Short-grass prairies// which are too dry to grow trees or any tall grasses.

Flowers may include: -Asters -Blazing stars   -Coneflowers -Goldenrods -Sunflowers -Clovers -Psoraleas - Wild indigos

Various species of grasses include: -Purple Needle Grass

-Galleta -Buffalo Grass -Blue Grama Fauna The diversity of temperate grassland fauna is very low compared with the tropical grasslands or savannas or Africa. In North America, Bison and Pronghorn are the dominant herbivores. Rodents are pocket gophers, ground squirrels and prairie dogs. Wolves, coyotes, swift foxes, badgers and black-footed ferrets are the carnivores. The Black-footed ferrets are also endangered species. Birds include grouses, meadowlarks, quails, sparrows, hawks and owls.

Seasonal Temperatures
 * Rainfall:** Usually in the late spring and early summer, rain falls in temperate grasslands. Temperate grassland has an average of 20-35 inches of rainfall a year. The height of grasses in grassland is determined by the amount of rainfall. In North America, there are tall grass prairies in wetter areas and short grass steppes in dryer habitats.


 * Drought:** Drought plays a big role by keeping trees from growing. Some seasons receive significantly less rain than others over the years. Trees need plenty of water and cannot stand the drought which is why grass remains dominant.


 * Fire:** Keeping trees from taking over the grass land, fire plays a big role in the biome. Storms strike lightning and ignite grass-fire over the grassland helps plants by germinating seeds. It also clears ground cover to let rare plants a chance to grow and freshly burnt vegetation nourishing the soil.



Season Precipitation This biome typically has between 10 to 35 inches of precipitation each year. Most of the precipitation comes during late springs and early summers. The amount of rainfall usually determines the height of grasses in the grasslands. In North America, the rainfall gradient helps divide the grasslands into tall grass prairies in wetter areas, and shorter grass steppes in the dryer zones. Snow is one of the main sources of moisture for temperate grasslands and for the beginning of the growing season. Human Impacts Since the soils in these areas are very rich and the land is flat and treeless, most of this biome has been turned into farms or ranches. The result of this causes a decrease in food sources for many wild animals. This also causes the animals to migrate or even starve. Another problem that the farms cause is overgrazing. The livestock are allowed to graze in areas where wild animals live and this causes a competition between the livestock and the wild animals. This overgrazing problem can also cause the grass resources to be depleted. Also, if grasslands are plowed too often, it strips the rich nutrients from the soil. Salts from irrigation waters can also damage the ground and this causes the dry soil to be blown away. Hunting has also has a serious impact on this biome. The American Bison populations was in danger by the European Settlers and almost reached extinction. Although, most of the impacts fell in the negative category, there were also positive influences. National parks have been developed around grasslands and organizations were organized to replant areas of depleted grasslands. The government has also enforced laws against hunting of endangered animals.

Bibliography "What Are the Impacts of Humans on Grassland Biomes? | The Classroom | Synonym."The Classroom. Web. 26 Jan. 2015. . "Temperate Grasslands Biome." Temperate Grasslands Biome. Web. 26 Jan. 2015. .  "Temperate Grasslands." Grasslands. Web. 26 Jan. 2015. <http://www.defenders.org/grasslands/temperate-grasslands>. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Temperate Grasslands." Biomes of the World. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. <https://php.radford.edu/~swoodwar/biomes/?page_id=173>.